Lloyd stevens



(No Model.)

. L. STEVENS. Y

Handling or Transferring Gravel, Goal, 8w. I No 240,051. Patented April 12,1881.

a, M I I ITHQGRAPHER. lsHl GYON. DYC

'UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

LLOYD STEVENS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HANDLING OR TRANSIFERRINIG AGRAVEL, COAL, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part -of Letters Patent No.. 240,05l, dated April 12, 1881. l Application filed March 1, 1881. (No model.)

certain Improvements in Handling or Transferring Gravel, Goal, Grits, and Similar Materials,of which the following is a specification;

This invention relates, mainly, to loading vessels, boats, or scows wlth gravel grits, coal, sand, 850., but especially the two first, and to unloading them, the principle of operation being the same in both cases, and the apparatus employed substantially the same.

In the application of my invention to loading vessels from the shores of tidal water-ways l excavate a narrow canal near the boat-landing, into which the tide is permitted to ebb and flow, the waterflevel being the same in the said canal as it is outside or in the sound or river. I prefer to construct the canal parallel with the shore, and to open both ends of it to the main water-way, especially where I can take advantage of natural inlets suited to the not watertight, but sufficiently tight to prevent the escape of the finest gravel, &c., to be loaded. I employ as many of these bins as I have grades of gravel or grits, and prefer to arrange part at one side of the bridge and part at the other. The water stands in these bins at the same level as outside. The gravel is conveyed from the excavator and screen by carts or other conveyances, and is dumped from thebridge into the bins.

. On the bridge, as the most convenient place, Iset adredging-pump or injector, run by steam or other power, the machinery being properly housed for protection. From this pump a suction hose or pipe is arranged to depend into either one of theaforesaid bins, and an eduction-pipe is carried. out, preferably on a pier or similar structure, to the vessel to be loaded. The pump being 'set to work, the gravel and waterfrom the bin is forced out tothe vessel and into it. As it isdesirable that only the gravel shall be deposited in the vessel and not I the water which, of necessity, accompanies it,

I do not discharge directly into the vessel, but onto an inclined screen on the vessels deck. The gravel and water being discharged upon this, the water passes through and overboard, and the gravel, which is unableto pass through, falls .into the vessel.

The gravel is removed from the hold of the vessel by means of a dredging-pump in the same manner that it is'removed from the bins; but before this can be done it is necessary to admit water to the hold. For this purpose I construct a passage down into the vessel at some convenient place along the side, and a cock belowthe water-line admi s water through the hull into this passage. his cock is arranged to be opened and closedifrom the deck above, and the influ x of water is regulated by a float-valve, as will be more fully described.

When the vessel is to be unloaded the cock is opened to flood the hold, and the float-valve will prevent the water from rising above the predetermined height--say fifteen incheseven though the cock belet't open. When the gravel ,has been removed the cock may be closed and the pump kept running until the hold is pumped dry. 7

For the better understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 is a plan, showing my apparatus for loading vessels from bins sunk in a canal on the shore. Fig. 3 is anenlarged sectional view, arranged to illustrate the mechanism employed for admitting water to the material in the hull of the vessel, or into a floating bin, from which the vessel may be loaded. Fig. 4 is a detached view of the discharge nozzle and its accessories.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A represents the canal before mentioned, excavated near the shore or landing-place; B, thebridge spanning the same; 0 O, the bins into which the gravel, &c., is dumpedfrom the bridge, D, the dredging-pump or injeotoropera-ted by an engine, E; a, the induction and b the eduction pipe of the ,pump,the latter extending out along a pier, F, to a vessel, G, to be loaded.

As before stated, the bottom of the canal A is sunk some twelve inches or more below the ICO level of low tide, so as to insure a minimum depth of water in the same equal to about twelve inches at all times. The employment of a canal of this character for the bins precludes injury to the bins and machinery from storms; but in some cases the bins might be sunk in the main water-way itself, near the shore, in which case it might be necessary to protect them by means of an embankment, sheet-piling, or other well-known protection. I prefer to employ a canal of the character described, however, as natural inlets can generally be found that will answer the purpose with very little preparation. The main point is to provide a means of keeping the bins supplied with water at all times, so that the end of the suction-pipe may be submerged. The bins may be made of wood or metal, and may have flat or inclined bottoms, as preferred. To admit the water to them they may have small holes bored in them near the bottom.

The induction-pipes a may be fixtures in the bins, and a flexible suction-hose from the pump may be arranged to attach onto any one of them at the level of the platform or bridge B. In any case the pipe should have as few angles as possible and these should not be abrupt.

The eduction-pipe b may have a joint in it to adapt its delivery end to the rise and fall of the tide, or it may have a flexible extremity for the same purpose, as desired; or in some cases where the rise of the tide is not too great this variation in level may be met by moving the screen up and down.

H is a screen, of some foraminous material, arranged to be set up at the proper incline on the deck of the vessel, so that the water may pass through it and fall onto the deck and flow overboard, and the material from the bins be shot into the hold of the vessel. As the screen is generally rather fragile and easily injured, and the velocity of the discharged material very great, I provide a splash-plate, 0, preferably of iron, to cover that portion of the screen upon which the material is discharged; and to better distribute the material over the screen and lessen the force with which it strikes the screen, I arrange the axis of the nozzle 01 at an angle with the horizon but little less than that of the screen itself, and flatten the said nozzle, (see Fig. 4,) so as to extend it laterally and give it an elliptic mouth. To prevent the material as it escapes from the nozzle from scattering and flying about too much, and to lessen the force of discharge, I prefer to provide the nozzle with a flexible overhanging apron, e, of rubber or other similar material, to receive the force of the stream. In lieu of this, I may provide the splash-plate with a raised border, so as to form a shallow receptacle, and discharge into this with a flared nozzle. This would retain a bed of the material to receive the force of the discharge.

The arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is adapted to the shores of tidal water-ways,

where the rise and fall can be easily calculated, and does not vary materially; but for the sh ores of in land waters,which fluctuate greatly, and the level of which cannot always be relied on or calculated with certainty, I may employ a floating bin, as shown in Fig. 3, and load frond-this into the vessel. 1 may in such cases mount the dredging-pump and other machinery directly upon the deck of the bin, as shown, and dump the material into the bin from conveyances driven onto it from a pier,

or up a staging from the shore, as most convenient.

As it would be impossible to insert the suction-pipe of the pump down through the heap of material in the bin to the water at the bottom, I prefer to suspend a tube,f, from the deck down into the hold to the water-level in the same, and to pass the suction-pipe down through this, as shown; but the pipefmight form a part of the suction-pipe, and an attachment be made at the deck with the pump. This pipef may be made to swing in gimbals at the deck.

I is a passage which is built down the side of the bin to a point below the desired level of the water in the hold, and this is provided with a cock, g, to admit water to the hold through the side of the bin. This cock may be shut off in a well-known way by means of a rod, h, which extends up to the deck, and it may also be shut off by means of a float, 'i, which plays in an enlarged part of the passage 1. When the water rises to a predetermined height in the hold of the bin, the float rises and cuts off the influx of .water through the cock; and when the material is all pumped out, and it is desired to remove the water from the bin, the influx may be cut off independentlyfrom the float-valve by means of the rod h. It will seldom be necessary to employ this latter cut-off with the bin, however, except as a precautionary measure, as the water may generally be allowed to stand in the bin. I may say that the cock can be of the usual kind, and the float be arranged to close its mouth or outlet when it lifts. The wall of the passage I serves to shield the cock 9 and the float.

For a long bin I may employ several depending pipes, f, arranged atintervals, and the suction-hose from the pump may be dropped into them successively.

The vessel Gr is provided with precisely the same means for flooding and for removing the material that are shown in the floating bin, and I have considered it unnecessary to duplicate them in Fig. 3. Indeed, the floating bin may be considered as a vessel, and may be constructed and employed as a vessel. In'the case of vessels for transporting, however, it may not be expedient to provide each vessel with separate pumping machinery. This may be set on the unloading pier or wharf in such a position that the suction pipe or hose can be droppedinto the hold of the vesselmoored at the pier, and the material may be pumped o jectors, to the objective point, and discharging.

or forced from the vessel into elevated bins, from which carts or other conveyances may be loaded through chutes.

In lieu of the dredging-pump employed to take up the water and materials, I may employ an injector to take the materials from a heap and force it, mixed with the injected water, to the objective point; but I prefer the dredging-pump arranged as shown.

It will be understood,then, that the most es-' sential feature of my invention consists in throwing the prepared gravel and, water onto a screen to eliminate the water, and the employment of bins or receptacles for the material to be transferred, and flooding these bins, so that the material, mixed with the water, may be removed by a dredging-pump; and this applies as well to unloading as to loading vessels, the hulls ot -which may be considered as bins or receptacles capable of being flooded. I am aware that gravel, mud, and water have been lifted by means of dredging-pumps, and also by means of injectors, and I make no claim to this; but

What I do claim is 1. The mode of handling screened oriprepared gravel, grits, and similar materials, which consists in forcing the said materials, mixed with water, by means ofpumps or inthe same on a screen, to separate the water from the materials, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The mode of handling gravel, grits, and similar materials, which consists in first depositing said materials in bins or receptacles supplied with water, and then liftingand forcing the water and materials together, by means of a dredging pump or injector, to the objec tive point, where they are discharged upon a suitable screen and the water separated therefrom, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. As a means of handling gravel, grits, and similar materials, a receiving-bin arranged to be flooded with water, a dredging pump or injector with suitable induction and eduction pipes, to convey or transfer the mixed water and materials, and a suitable screen to receive the discharged materials and separate the water therefrom, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. As a means of flooding a bin or receptacle for the gravel andother materials to be handled or transferred, a passage, I, a cock, g, arranged to be closed from the deck, and a float, i, to control the influx of water at the cock and prevent it from rising above a predetermined height, substantially as set forth.

5. The bin. or receptacle for the materials to be handled or transferred, provided with one or more pendent pipes, f, extending down to or below the level of the water in the bin or receptacle, to provide a way or passage for the insertion of the suction-pipe of the dredgingpump, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The combination, with the screen to receive the discharge, of a splash-plate mounted on said screen at the point where the discharge strikes it, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. The combination, with the screen provided with a splash-plate to receive the discharge, of the nozzle of the eduction or discharge pipe, arranged at an angle with the screen less than ninety degrees, so that the discharge may strike said plate obliquely, and

' thus reduce the force ofthe blow, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, with a screen, H, provided with a splash-plate, c, of the flattened or oval-shaped nozzle d of the discharge-pipe b, all arranged substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. The nozzle of the eduction or discharge pipe provided with a yielding and flexible apron, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

10. A bin or receptacle for gravel and similar materials provided with means for flooding same and insuring a predetermined depth of water in same, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LLOYD STEVENS.

Witnesses HENRY OONNETT, ARTHUR G. FRASER. 

